Flood causes havoc and claims three lives.

Durban is reeling from the damages of the catastrophic flood that hit the city yesterday. Social Media platforms were flooded with images of the destruction that sadly claimed the lives of three people. eThekwini Mayor James Nxumalo on Tuesday cautioned all residents to avoid high risk flood areas following heavy rains on Monday. Heavy rains […]

Durban is reeling from the damages of the catastrophic flood that hit the city yesterday. Social Media platforms were flooded with images of the destruction that sadly claimed the lives of three people.

eThekwini Mayor James Nxumalo on Tuesday cautioned all residents to avoid high risk flood areas following heavy rains on Monday.

“We advise community members to refrain from crossing low-lying bridges and to avoid streams. We are monitoring areas around the city that are prone to flooding,” he said in a statement. The city said its disaster management team will be monitoring water levels in rivers and streams. For emergencies and flooding, residents are urged to call the Disaster Management Centre on 031 361 0000.

“As water levels rise many residents face the possibility of having their homes flooded,” city spokesperson Tozi Mthethwa said. The South African Weather Service has predicted that the rain will continue until Tuesday afternoon, Mthethwa said.

The eThekwini Municipality has closed several popular Durban beaches due to rough seas and heavy rain since Monday.

In a statement‚ spokeswoman Tozi Mthethwa said that North Beach and South Beach – both popular swimming and tourist beaches on the city’s “Golden Mile” – had been completely closed. “The decision to close beaches has been taken as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of residents and holidaymakers.

“There is extensive structural damage on Durban’s beaches following heavy rains that started on Sunday. There is also a huge amount of flotsam and jetsam as well as organic matter in the water‚” she said. Clean-up operations will start as soon as possible. Amanzimtoti and Isipingo were hit hard by the flood and also suffered power outages on Monday night. A few residents also succumbed to lightning damage. There was also flooding in Spine Road and on the M7 South Coast Road.

Municipal spokeswoman, Tozi Mthethwa, said the worst-affected areas included KwaMashu, where houses had been flooded, and people were being in accommodated in the local hall.

Paramedics and the Road Traffic Management Corporation have also warned motorists to take extra care because heavy rains were set to continue over KwaZulu-Natal, bringing chaos to the province’s roads. Emergency workers have reported multiple collisions and more were feared. Many commuters were stuck in traffic for hours.

In Reservoir Hills, the Palmiet River burst its banks and flooded Quarry Road. Low-lying areas to the south of Durban were particularly hard hit.